Accommodation in Medellín: The Story of the ‘Casas de Inquilinato’ That Became Boutique Hotels Without Losing

Origins

Medellín wasn't always the city of skyscrapers and designer hotels you see today. Between the 1940s and 1970s, the city's population exploded. People from towns in Antioquia, Chocó, the Caribbean coast, and even the south of the country arrived looking for work in textile factories and construction. There wasn't enough housing for everyone. The pragmatic Antioquian families began dividing their large houses in the center and neighborhoods like Prado and Laureles. This is how the casas de inquilinato were born: single-family homes converted into rented rooms, with shared bathrooms and kitchens.

These houses weren't improvised slums. They had a very clear social logic: the owner lived in the house, rented out rooms, and everyone shared the patio, dining room, and laundry area. It was a form of urban solidarity, but also of economic survival. In the Prado neighborhood, Medellín's first upper-class residential area, many early 20th-century mansions ended up converted into inquilinatos when wealthy families moved to El Poblado in the 1970s and 1980s. In Laureles, the phenomenon was different: middle-class houses, with inner courtyards and colorful facades, were adapted to receive university students and workers from the area.

By the 1990s, these houses had a bad reputation. They were associated with overcrowding, insecurity, and decay. But they also held something invaluable: high ceilings, wooden floors, handcrafted stained glass, and patios that seemed like green lungs within the city. That architecture, seemingly doomed to oblivion, began to be rediscovered by a new generation of travelers and entrepreneurs.

Timeline or Historical Milestones

1940-1960: The Rise of the Casas de Inquilinato

Medellín grows at a breakneck pace. Textile factories like Coltejer and Fabricato attract thousands of migrants. Houses in the center and working-class neighborhoods like Manrique and Buenos Aires become inquilinatos. A typical 300-square-meter house could house up to 15 families. The inner courtyard becomes the heart of community life: there they cook, wash clothes, children play, and adults discuss politics.

1970-1980: The Decline of Prado and the Rise of Laureles

Wealthy families abandon Prado. The Republican and Art Deco style mansions are subdivided into small rooms. Laureles, on the other hand, consolidates as a middle-class neighborhood with spacious, tree-lined houses. Many of those houses become inquilinatos for students from the Pontifical Bolivarian University and the National University. The inner courtyards, with their gardens and fountains, remain as meeting spaces.

1990-2005: Crisis and Oblivion

The violence of the 1990s hits Medellín hard. Many casas de inquilinato are abandoned or become hotspots for insecurity. The center and Prado deteriorate. Laureles resists better, but it also loses part of its essence. The youth of the time remember these houses as dark and damp places, far from any glamour.

2006-2015: The Tourist Rebirth

Medellín begins to change its image. Tourism grows, and with it, the demand for accommodations with character. Local and foreign entrepreneurs start buying these old houses to turn them into hostels and boutique hotels. The first notable case is El Retorno, a casa de inquilinato in Laureles that a group of architects transformed into a 10-room hotel, preserving the inner courtyard and wooden floors. The success of this project inspires others.

2016-2026: The Consolidation of the Model

Today, in July 2026, the converted casas de inquilinato are a hallmark of Medellín's accommodation offerings. Neighborhoods like Laureles, Prado, El Poblado (to a lesser extent), and Belén have dozens of these boutique hotels. The key has been not to lose the essence: the rooms are still small, bathrooms are shared in some cases, and the inner courtyards remain the center of the hotel's social life.

Key People or Events

The Restrepo Family and ‘La Casa Vieja’ in Prado

Doña María Restrepo inherited a 1920s mansion in the Prado neighborhood from her grandmother. In the 1980s, the house had 12 rooms rented out to displaced families. When violence escalated, many tenants left and the house became semi-empty. In 2014, her grandson, Andrés Restrepo, a 32-year-old architect, convinced the family to turn it into a boutique hotel. Today, La Casa Vieja has 8 rooms, all with 4-meter ceilings and original stained glass. Doña María, at 87, still lives on the first floor and greets guests every morning.

“My grandmother didn't understand why anyone would pay to sleep in a room without a private bathroom,” says Andrés. “But foreigners love authenticity. They love sitting in the courtyard to read, as if they were in an Antioquian family home from the 1950s.”

El Retorno: The Pioneer in Laureles

In 2008, a group of architect friends bought a house on Carrera 73 with Calle 42, in the heart of Laureles. The house had been an inquilinato for 30 years. Instead of demolishing it and building a modern structure, they decided to restore it. They preserved the courtyard with the stone fountain, the oak wood floors, and the colorful stained glass. They named it El Retorno, in honor of the migrants who returned to their towns. Today it is one of the most sought-after boutique hotels in Medellín, with prices starting at $180,000 COP per night in the low season.

The case of El Retorno showed that business could be made with memory. It attracts cultural travelers, photographers, and couples looking for something more than just a bed. The key, according to its owners, has been maintaining the spirit of the house: the rooms don't have a TV, but the Wi-Fi is fast. Breakfast is served in the courtyard, under a lemon tree that is over 50 years old.

The Transformation of Calle 10 in El Poblado

It's not all nostalgia. In El Poblado, Medellín's most touristy neighborhood, there are also examples of this transformation. On Calle 10, a 1960s casa de inquilinato was bought in 2019 by a local investor. He turned it into Casa 10, a 12-room boutique hotel that mixes the original structure with modern comforts: air conditioning, a private bathroom in each room, and a terrace with a view of the Aburrá Valley. Prices start at $250,000 COP per night, but the experience includes a historical tour of the neighborhood.

Current Status

Today, the converted casas de inquilinato are a real option for those seeking accommodation with history in Medellín. They are not for everyone: if you need a hotel with a gym, pool, and 24/7 room service, better look in El Poblado. But if you value authenticity, creaky floors, and patios where clothes are hung out to dry in the sun, this is your type of accommodation.

Where to Find Them Today: 5 Converted Houses for Under $150,000 COP per Night

• Casa de la Abuela (Laureles): On Carrera 76 with Calle 39, three blocks from the Estadio Metro station. It has 10 rooms, some with shared bathrooms. Prices from $120,000 COP per night (reference prices for July 2026). The inner courtyard is huge, with hammocks and a wood-fired oven for pizza on Fridays. Book with code HISTORIA25 and get a 10% discount.
• La Casa Vieja (Prado): On Calle 54 # 45-20, a 15-minute walk from the center. 8 rooms, shared bathroom in some. Prices from $100,000 COP per night. Includes homemade breakfast with arepas and regional coffee.
• El Patio de las Flores (Belén): On Carrera 80 with Calle 30, near Parque de Belén. 6 rooms, all with private bathrooms. Prices from $130,000 COP per night. Specializes in guests traveling with pets.
• Hostal La Abuelita (Manrique): On Calle 67 # 52-10, in the Manrique Central neighborhood. 12 rooms, shared bathroom. Prices from $80,000 COP per night. It is the most economical on the list, but the neighborhood has an intense cultural life and is close to the Jardín Botánico.
• Casa 10 (El Poblado): On Calle 10 # 43-15. 12 rooms, private bathroom. Prices from $250,000 COP per night (exceeds the $150,000 limit, but it is the most central and modern option on the list).

The Fusion of Old and New

What makes these hotels special is that they don't sacrifice essence for comfort. At El Retorno, for example, the original stained glass from the 1950s is intact, but the beds are new and the mattresses are memory foam. At Casa de la Abuela, the wooden floors creak as you walk, but the Wi-Fi reaches 100 megabits. The inner courtyards, which were once the space for washing and drying clothes, now have tables, chairs, and plants that invite conversation.

The shared bathrooms, which for many are an inconvenience, have been redesigned to be pleasant spaces: colorful tiles, good water pressure, and artisanal soaps. In some houses, like La Casa Vieja, guests have access to a communal kitchen equipped with everything needed to prepare their own meals.

The Owners: From Renting Rooms to Managing Hotels

Behind each of these houses is a family story. At La Casa Vieja, the Restrepo family went from renting rooms for $50,000 COP a month to charging $100,000 COP per night. But the change was not only economic; it was also cultural. “Before, the tenants were people who needed a roof. Now they are travelers looking for an experience,” says Andrés Restrepo. “Sometimes I miss the old bustle, when the courtyard was full of children and pots. But I also like seeing a French person reading in the same place where my grandmother hung the clothes.”

At El Retorno, the owners are architects who live in the same neighborhood. They themselves welcome the guests, recommend restaurants, and tell them the story of the house. “We are not a hotel chain. We are a family that opened the doors of our home,” says Carlos, one of the partners. “That is what people value.”

A Fun Fact

Did you know that in some of these original casas de inquilinato, tenants had to take turns to use the bathroom? At La Casa Vieja, there was a turn system written on a chalkboard in the kitchen. Today, guests can use the bathroom whenever they want, but some ask to keep the tradition and sign up on the board as a game. It's a detail that connects the past with the present.

What to Expect When You Stay

If you decide to stay in one of these houses, expect this:

• Small but cozy spaces: